Avocado Basil Cucumber Gazpacho

I’ve always had the notion that I don’t like gazpacho, because I only considered the too-acidic-for-my-taste tomato version. But the other day, when I was craving soup on a sunny day, I got on Pinterest (my addiction) and realized there are tons of non-tomato variations of gazpacho! Immediately my mind went to avocado, the unparalleled summer fruit/vegetable/superfood. So I decided to make a gazpacho that I do really like, with a refreshing blend of a few of my favorite summer flavors: avocado, cucumber, and basil.

The Vitamix gives this soup the perfect fluffy and smooth texture, but a good blender should do the trick too. For a lighter soup, add more broth, and for a super quick version, omit the sautéed onion and garlic. Feel free to try out different herbs too, like mint or cilantro! This soup is delicious on its own, topped with grilled prawns, or as an appetizer or side dish. My favorite way to serve this is garnished with tomatoes and enjoyed with a quesadilla (with Daiya vegan cheese). This avocado gazpacho is the perfect dip for that quesadilla too!

This soup is best enjoyed on a warm summer night, which in Seattle, means now. Somehow we lucked out this spring and have had the most gorgeous summery weather! Sometimes I lose interest in time-intensive cooking when the weather is so nice like this because I just want to be outside as much as humanly possible, so this super-quick recipe is perfect. I can whip it up in less than 30 minutes, and be back on the patio, with dinner in hand, in no time. 🙂 But even if you aren’t as lucky as us Northwesterners, this nontraditional gazpacho is worth a taste! Cheers!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 avocados, pitted and scooped out
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
• juice of 2 limes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• halved cherry tomatoes, basil, and a wedge of lime, to garnish

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in a small skillet.
2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until softened and onion translucent. Let cool slightly.
3. First add vegetable broth to Vitamix or blender, and then add the avocados, basil leaves, cucumber, lime juice, and onion/garlic mixture.
4. Blend until as smooth as possible.
5. Let cool in refrigerator until ready to eat.
6. Top each bowl of chilled soup with cherry tomato halves, chopped basil, and a wedge of lime. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
7. Enjoy same day for the best green color!